Forever Strong
by XTHoshigaki
Summary: In this story, Eric fights for love, safety, and for his people. Can he prevail? A submission for the Poppin' Cherries One-Shot contest.


-1

"**Poppin' Eric's Cherry" One-Shot Contest**

**Title: _Forever Strong_**

**Pen name: **XTHoshigaki

**Status (Virgin or Almost-Virgin): Virgin**

**Primary Players: Eric Northman**

**Beta'd by: ShutterbugMom**

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Eric, or the Southern Vampire Series. Some sexual content and violence.

_Sweden, 1342 _

Eric awoke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. It was that damn dream again…a field, stars, a soft and sweet voice…what the hell did it all mean?

Quickly, he dressed and put his sword in the holster on his hip. The violent shaking of the vessel no longer made Eric feel queasy… or anything at all. After all, it had been over three hundred years since Godric had turned him.

One moment he was down below in his chambers, and the next, he was on the deck in the pouring rain. The sea, now black and menacing, churned all around him. The wind howled and whipped the rain across his face, but he felt no pain. Lighting struck, and thunder roared, yet the ship moved on, towards Denmark.

Our mission was to spread Christianity, and all the beliefs we held true, and to do whatever it took to do so… even if it meant months of battle.

As if it were something out of a story book, the outline of land suddenly appeared before Eric.

"Men! Prepare for battle!" Eric roared, as he prepared himself.

*****

Of course, being the leader of an all human army had its downside.

Eric had to invent reasons why he couldn't fight in battles during the day, and his go-to reason was praying. He wore his wooden ring at all times to "show his love for Christ", since he of course couldn't wear metal. No chain mail, no armor…and everything he handled had to be bounded in leather first, or it was "unsuitable for the lord".

It was also incredibly difficult for him to find a place in Viking society. Since he had convinced his people that he was a die hard Christian, they accepted him. It wasn't until battle that they saw his talents, and must have thought it was a god-given gift.

Nevertheless, the people understood that they couldn't rely on Eric for every battle, but they made up for it with their cunning tactics, and amazing brute strength.

And these battles would decide Sweden's fate; could it expand its influence like it desired? Denmark, Iceland, and Finland were the first three major campaigns, and any failure could _not_ be tolerated. Eric's fleet was the only part of the army in all of Denmark, and their numbers weren't many…

*****

The fleet had landed. All around him, Eric could see the many ships under his command coming ashore. Before a single Viking had even set foot on Denmark, there was a huge mass of people waiting on the shore on a large mountain…all of them armed, and ready.

Eric made sure he was ready for battle; he had his sword in his right hand, his shield in his left, a wooden ring set with a ruby on his left hand, and tiny, tight, black undershorts.

Eric stood on the bow of the ship, his silky hair flowing in the wind, his muscles soaked and bulging, and a gleaming white smile on his face.

A flash of lighting.

Less than a second later, one of the soldiers screams as his neck is torn out; tiny muscles and arteries that are still pumping blood travel from Eric's hand to his mouth, and he swallows the whole handful in one gulp. The other Vikings are now off the ships, and they're moving towards where the people of Denmark are waiting, and watching in horror.

Like a phantom, and faster than anything humanly possible, Eric moves in between rows of soldiers, breaking off arms and legs, slitting throats, taking out spines, hearts, intestines, and chopping off heads.

There is no sound of his movement…there is only the sound of screaming, and the sound of metal piercing through flesh; a squishy, disgusting sound that's incredibly satisfying.

The smell of blood fills the air, and as Eric's fleet charges to the opposing army, half of their men are already dead; their blood is traveling down the slope, making their shoes dark red with blood.

Gracefully, Eric dances amongst the ranks of the enemy as he rips them in half. Soon enough, he doesn't need his sword, and his animal instincts begin to take over. It drops with a large clang to the ground beneath him, now filled with countless bodies, and body parts. He tackles a younger looking soldier, and begins to devour him. In a half a second, the boy is dead, but Eric remains beside him, still sucking the life away.

Now, the Vikings show their might. Spears sink into flesh, shields batter skulls, and swords chop limbs to shreds. Not a single Viking is killed, and very few are actually injured. Just as the last head is chopped off, Eric finishes, and he stands before his men, smiling valiantly.

He wipes his mouth…

"VICTORY!" he bellows out, and the Vikings roar back with praise.

*****

After three long weeks, Eric's men had advanced through much of northern Denmark. Everywhere they went, they left villages who refused to convert in ruin. Men were hung for all too see; their hands and feet were cut off, and their eyes gouged out violently.

Eric was able to advance on, unshaken by the events that had unfolded. On the other hand, his men were beginning to grow weary, and they had barely stopped for more than a few hours.

Eventually, Eric realized that his men were humans after all, and that they needed a break. They soon found themselves in the middle of a vast forest, and they set up camp for a delayed stay.

As usual, Eric moved a few miles away from his men, and buried himself in the ground. The next night, he awoke, crawled out of the ground, and began to hunt.

It had been three weeks since his last feed…which was far too long, now that he had become accustomed to frequent feedings.

Now, Eric stood completely naked in the moonlight. The forest surrounding him made very little noise. Slowly, he closed his eyes and began to focus…

An owl a half a mile to the east. A mother bird warming her eggs in a tree 48 feet above, 300 yards to his right…

He sniffed the air to the north…his men were awake at their fires, laughing, drinking, and telling stories…Eric smiled.

He sniffed the air to the east…nothing.

To the west…nothing.

To the south…

Nothing?

No…There was _something_.

A field. 20 miles south of where he was…

Eric turned, and in less than a second he was gone. The leaves and branches that cluttered the forest floor flew up into the air as he ran.

*****

He stopped about 50 feet away, just to be safe. Then, Eric crouched down very low to the ground, and moved at a steady pace forward. He could see the light of a fire, and a distant voice… it was singing, and the voice was female.

Two burning urges that could be satisfied? Eric smiled, as his fangs sprung out, as did something else…

Eric was coming closer and closer to the field, which he could now see was a large clearing in the forest. Now, he was within 10 feet of her.

He could clearly see her now. She was about a head shorter than him, with long and beautiful blonde hair. She had shimmering blue eyes, high cheekbones, full lips, an elegantly long neck, full, voluptuous breasts…

Eric couldn't help but drool. His eyes continued to devour her…

An hourglass figure, nice hips, an equally amazing butt, legs sculpted from marble, and delicate yet perfect feet, bound in sandals with several straps…The woman only wore a long white fur coat, extremely short and tight brown shorts, a braided hair band, and a large belt with a sword on the side.

She was the most amazing woman he had ever seen, and Eric knew at that moment that he loved her, and that he would love her forever. She was tough, yet elegant, rugged and rough, yet so beautiful. It had been over 50 years since he had seen a woman, and over 80 since he had last had sex…it raged beneath him, burning with desire.

It only took Eric thirty seconds to run back to get his black, tight, tiny shorts on, and then come back. When he returned, she was sitting near the fire, singing softly, and polishing her sword; a long shining blade, with a black handle, and a sapphire encrusted sheath.

The mere stroking of the blade was enough to make Eric go crazy. He stood before her, desperate…And without truly thinking, he walked into the clearing and into plain sight.

It only took her 4 seconds to get up and draw her weapon, pretty impressive for a human, let alone a woman. She stood, ready to fight to the death, with no idea that she could be in pieces in a matter of seconds if Eric so desired it.

"I mean no harm…" Eric stated, raising his hands with his palms open, to show he was unarmed.

The woman didn't move. Her eyes never left him for a second.

"I was…struck by your beauty." He said, slowly stepping towards her.

"And I am by yours…" she said, now observing him. She looked him over from head to toe, and in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly before her.

She gasped, and took a step back quickly.

"Eric…it means forever strong." he said, holding out his hand to her.

"Katiya. It means…pure." she replied, taking his hand.

Their eyes met for a moment, and Katiya felt like electricity had been jolted through her.

*****

It had been hours since Eric and Katiya had first breathed their names to each other. She told him of how she was exiled from her country for wanting to fight in the war, and he told her how he was the leader of an army coming to destroy her people. Nevertheless, his charm enchanted her, and her beauty drew him in…It was a love that was meant to be, and instantaneous spark that had ignited a true, burning passion.

Now, they sat together near the fire, laughing and joking…Katiya stood up, grabbed Eric's hand, and without saying a word, guided him away from the fire.

Silently, they walked together, away from the fire, towards the middle of the clearing.

"I've been alone for quite some time now…" Katiya said, still laughing as she walked with Eric.

"But I always find that no matter where I end up, I can always see the stars, and the moon."

They walked on, and after a few minutes, Katiya stopped. Slowly, she pulled Eric down with her to the ground, where they lay on their backs, gazing at the stars above, holding each other. Her head lay across his bare chest, and he stroked her hair slowly.

For hours, they remained there, talking quietly, and laughing.

Then, as if from nowhere, the first light from the sun appeared. Eric stood suddenly, preparing to leave, when Katiya grabbed his hand.

"Where are you…"

"I have to go." he interjected, wasting no time at all.

"Will I see…"

"Yes. Tomorrow night." he replied, smiling.

Katiya smiled back, and pulled him in for a kiss. It was long, passionate, and satisfying. Katiya allowed herself to close her eyes and enjoy the moment. When she opened them, he was gone, with a soft gust of wind.

*****

Three weeks went by, and six battles were fought. Since all of them were during the day, Eric remained unseen by his soldiers. They remained hopeful and confident in him, however, since he had the talent of the gods.

Eric continued to see Katiya every night.

Each battle outweighed the last in the amount of people killed, and the bloodshed. As the Vikings traveled through the vast forest, they no longer were in their element. The enemy was sly, cunning, and they knew their native territory well. Their main weapon was the bow, since they needed to avoid close combat to win.

Amongst the Vikings, roughly 200 died; which could be considered a stunning defeat since Eric's fleet was only roughly 2,000. This came nowhere close to the 10,000 that the people of Denmark could muster, since they had help from outside countries while Sweden did not.

Eric and Katiya would lay beside each other in the same clearing every night, gazing at the stars and talking. They would kiss over and over again for hours on end, until the sun came up.

However, it didn't take long for the Vikings to become accustomed to their tactics. As a result, each battle became easier and easier to win, and the Vikings advanced on. It took them all of those three weeks to travel about 20 miles, and they moved due south, leaving bodies, blood, and loose appendages in their wake.

Each kiss seemed to be like its own century to each of them; their lips moved between furiously and fast and slow yet steady. Sometimes their eyes would open, sometimes they would close. Eric would move down to Katiya's neck (and nowhere lower), but he would never bite her…She still had no idea, except for the fact that she knew he was very cold.

At the start of the fourth week, the Vikings stopped to rest. Night fell, and Eric awoke. After finding them to be roughly 10 miles away, he decided to hunt first, and then rejoin his troops.

However, since Eric traveled away from the troops to hunt, he was unaware of the Denmark armies closing in on his troops.

It didn't take long for Eric to find a small village. Lights were on in every house but one; a small shack barely held together, on the outskirts of the village. In a second he was at the door, and the next, he was inside. An old man lay sleeping, completely oblivious and helpless.

Eric's fangs sprung out, and in less than a minute, he was finished and the man was dead.

Then, he began to feel different…

Very distantly, he could hear the sounds of metal meeting metal, the smells of blood, fire, and the screams of men…his men.

It only took him a minute to get back to the camp, and when he returned, he saw smattered chaos; trees burning, hundreds of dead bodies at his feet, and the enemy killing his men before his very eyes.

A fire burned within Eric, unlike any he had felt before. He began to attack, screaming wildly, with a furious expression on his face. He showed no mercy; spines were torn out, men were slashed in half, heads were swallowed in mere gulps, and bodies were thrown over two hundred feet to the left, right, and up into the air.

Nothing could stop him; no human, no object, no divine intervention…He was God, and he knew it. Countless lives were ended within the same second, as Eric's rampage continued.

No one was spared, and no one had more than a few seconds to realize what was happening to them. Eventually, Eric began to laugh. At first it was a smirk or two here and there…but then, he was smiling from ear to ear, and laughing like a complete maniac.

He would crack bodies in half, rip off an arm or leg, slit a throat or two, and then allow himself to laugh in elation.

He didn't stop until the first light broke, and even then, he was cautious about stopping. Nevertheless, he saw that his men were still fighting, but that they clearly had the advantage. And with that, Eric retired.

*****

It took Eric two weeks to look for Katiya again. The battle had made him realize that he was too dangerous, too out of control to be with any human, and that he would have to tell her the truth, and then leave her.

It took him less than a minute to find her scent, and about two minutes to get to her location. She had moved, roughly 5 miles east of where she last was.

When he arrived, he found an empty fire. But something was off…

There were footprints everywhere. Eric could clearly see smaller trees and bushes trampled down by the path of what must be thousands of people. Katiya's camp was a complete mess; pots and pans, clothes, and various objects were strewn everywhere…

And that's when Eric smelled the blood.

He traced the path and the scent, and he began to follow it.

Soon enough, he was on the outskirts of an enemy camp. Quickly, he located Katiya…three hundred feet away, in a large tent, heavily guarded. Perfectly in the middle of the camp.

Carefully yet swiftly, Eric traveled closer and closer, hiding himself along the way. He didn't want any confrontation, and especially no risk of Katiya being hurt.

He grew closer and closer, until he was near enough to hear the people inside.

*****

I awoke with a pounding headache. The last thing I remember, I was waiting for Eric by the fire…but someone else came out from the forest this time, someone strange. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded, and when I tried to defend myself, I was overtaken and knocked out…

I can't move.

My arms and legs are bound, and it hurts to move them…and my head is covered in dried blood, I can feel it.

There's someone coming, I better act like I'm still sleeping, God knows what they'll do to me…

"Is this her?"

"Yes, my lord."

"And she…fought you?"

"Correct, my lord."

"Interesting…"

"Sir?"

"Don't worry about it…Leave us."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, my darling…shall we have a little…fun?"

No. No, no, no, no, NO!

He's touching my arm, slowly, softly. It hurts to just sit here, letting him touch me. But I can't get out…

His arm moves slowly up my arm, towards my face. He examines my lips, my hair, and my eyes. Then, he moves slowly down my torso, past my breasts, further down. Just as he begins to undress me, I scream.

I open my eyes and see the villain responsible; a short, stout, hideous man with pig-like features, fingers the size of plump sausages, who's dressed in the most expensive robes I've ever seen. He looks at me, in shock that I'm awake (and screaming), and he quickly runs over to try and silence me.

I see his balding head, his grotesque facial features, and his rotting yellow teeth. I scream again, but this time, he covers my mouth with his massive hand.

"Shhhhhh. Shhhhh." he tries to soothe me, but all I can do is shake violently on the table, suffering against my restraints.

He goes back to what he was trying to accomplish earlier, and he gets even further; I'm now naked from the waist down, and he's standing next to me awkwardly trying to get his pants off as fast as possible.

I start praying. I haven't prayed since I was dragged by my mother and father every Sunday when I was younger, but now I start to pray like it's my business.

I beg God for forgiveness, for freedom, for him to stop mounting the table, but I get nothing I pray for.

This is it. This is the death I was destined for…I should have _lived_ damn it, I should have gotten married, or at least had sex first…

Now, he's completely on top of me, and he's smiling like it's all a sick, sick joke. I'm nowhere near echoing his sentiments, and I scream once more…

And so does he.

I look up, and he's on his knees before me on the table, screaming in agony…but I can't see anything.

Then, slowly at first but then almost instantly, he's ripped into two halves from the top of his disgusting balding head to his pudgy private parts. His body slumps with a loud thud off the table to the left and to the right, and before I know it, I'm back on my feet, fully dressed.

I look to my left, and see Eric standing, smiling at me. I can't help but smile back.

Suddenly, there are people outside, with worried loud voices. I can barely make out what they're saying.

"We need to get out of here…now." Eric yells to me, and I snap out of it.

Out of nowhere, he grabs my wrist, and whips me onto his back. Instinctively, I grab on, and he starts running out of the tent as if that would help protect me…

But suddenly, we're out of the camp, and away from all of the noise, and the forest is flying past us.

Then suddenly, we're lifted straight up into the air, and I'm in his arms. I look down to see the forest and the world slowly shrinking below me, and my mouth is wide open in shock.

The sheer thrill and excitement, the wind in my face and my hair, and Eric's body against mine are all making me feel amazing…

I'm flying. And I've never felt like this, ever.

Then, too quickly, we were stopped in a clearing…our clearing.

I climbed off of his back, still in shock.

We stood, not looking at each other, in silence. He was the first to move, as he turned to build the fire. In a few moments, it was blazing behind me.

I finally broke the silence.

"What was that?" I asked, demanding answers.

Eric didn't respond.

"Eric."

"Answer me."

"ERIC!"

He still didn't respond.

"Okay." I said, and I began to walk away from him. There was a gust of wind, and he was suddenly there in front of me.

"I…" he began, and I waited eagerly.

"You?" I asked, still upset, and now I was angry about his slowness to tell me whatever it was.

"I'm…not human." he finally replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked back, thoroughly confused.

"I'm over three-hundred years old, Katiya." he said, breathing heavily.

I laughed. He had just torn a man in half, and ran a few miles in a matter of seconds…and he's telling me that he's an old man?

I continued to laugh, until I saw the look on his face…dead serious.

"Come." he said, and he took my hand.

I followed…all the way over to where we would usually watch the stars. He pulled me down to the ground, and then he told me everything…and I mean everything.

*****

I finally did it. All of it, not a single little detail left unspoken of.

I told her that I'm a monster; a vampire.

I'm the head of a Viking army.

I've killed thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people.

I'm over three hundred years old.

And I told her all I could remember from my human life, my mother, my home…

And I told her about my powers. The speed, the strength, the animal instincts that took over me when I battled…

And I told her how dangerous I was.

Again, she laughed.

"Eric." she said to me softly, after another long pause.

"I don't care if you think you're a monster, or how many _thousands_ you've killed."

"You…you don't?"

"Of course I don't…and it's because I love you, Eric Northman, more than life itself."

Everything seemed to be too perfect at that moment. She kissed me once, and then I kissed her back, passionately.

Soon enough, we were on top of each other, groping madly and kissing wildly. I traced her lips with mine, and I slowly moved down to her neck. I kissed it tenderly, and she giggled in happiness.

Next, I was on top of her, and we both ripped off our clothes as fast as we could. Even in death, I could feel the burning warmth of her body against mine.

We kissed for a while more, and I loved the sensation of her fiery lips against mine. She then took my head, and guided it towards her gentle, elegant neck…

"Do it." she said, with every ounce of sexiness in her voice that she could muster, and without thinking, my fangs sprung out, and I bit her. I only drank a little, but she seemed to enjoy it; her toes were pointed, and she moaned softly, repeating my name over and over.

I knew Katiya was a virgin, so I had to be as careful as I could…I would have one orgasm, then let it be done with, so she wouldn't get hurt.

The moments seemed to blend together; one second I was on top of her, and the next, I was on the threshold of being inside of her. Without a second thought, I plunged inside, and all I found was an everlasting sensation of warmth, love, and absolute pleasure.

She felt uncomfortable for only a few moments, and after some initial bleeding, she wanted more. Happily, I obliged, and gave my all to her…she followed suit.

It seemed as if every single cell in my body was screaming with pleasure, matched only by the actual screams of pleasure erupting from Katiya's mouth. For hours and hours, I thrusted away; sometimes soft and slowly while caressing her, and sometimes so impossibly fast that Katiya would barely be able to breathe. Position after position after position came; each producing an orgasm longer and more intense than the previous.

I was on top, and then she was, and then I was behind her, standing with her, lifting her, holding her upside down, in acrobatic positions, against trees, on the ground, and even three times in the top of a tree…and once while in the air, which seemed to be her favorite. Sex with Katiya was better than hunting and finding a village full of people to feed on, or the thrill that battle brought. Sex with Katiya made me feel like God.

Each time it came, both of our bodies erupted in pleasure. For a good two minutes each time, I hogged as much of the orgasms (for the first few hours, at least) as I could, and I _loved_ them. Our hands would sometimes meet; I could feel her soft caress, or her reassuring squeezes when the faster moments were taking place.

I was on fire, and so was she. Never in three hundred years had I ever felt this much love and this much pleasure from a single person. I grabbed Katiya's gorgeous, full breasts in my hands, and continued thrusting. Each thrust was it's own beautiful moment, and our eyes rarely left each other's sights.

Katiya moaned on and on forever with complete satisfaction, and I'll admit, so did I. Sometimes she only whispered my name, and sometimes she would scream it as if they were her last words, or as if she was going into battle.

Finally, we had our 32nd orgasm. Collapsing with pleasure and exhaustion. I was pretty tired, but Katiya was barely able to speak, let alone move. We sat there, exasperated, in each other's arms for an hour, just loving the moment, and each other.

I carried her back to her camp, tucked her in, and kissed her goodnight…good timing too, since dawn was just beginning to break. In a gust of wind, I took off, and flew all the way back to my sleeping spot.

*****

For a few months, there was a recurring pattern. After the defeat of their leader (the man who had attempted at raping Katiya), the enemy seemed to be more passive. My men also informed me that they had killed seven of the enemy's top leaders in the weeks I was absent, and the killing of the eighth made it look like I was in on the whole plan.

There would be a few encounters during the day with small groups of enemy soldiers, but otherwise nothing big. As soon as the sun would go down, I would join my men for celebrating, and further planning of our next few moves.

We had the people of Denmark in the palms of our hands, and my fellow Vikings had already planned a nighttime ambush to finish them off (so that I could actively participate).

After one or two hours of this, I would fly over to our clearing. Katiya and I would talk and laugh for a while, and just enjoy each other's company. Every night we went somewhere different, and had amazing sex in a different location. We swam in rivers, and in the seas. We flew to a handful of other countries; with interesting and different people, food, and cultures. A few nights, I would even fly her back to Sweden with me, where I would show her (with pride) my country; where I grew up, my favorite places as a child, and where I lived now. We would always arrive back just before the break of dawn, and we would always share a single kiss goodnight.

She told me about her life as well. She told me about her family, her home, and how it was devastated by the armies that we were fighting. When she signed up to be in the army, they had denied her and beaten her, making her even more bitter. She had been traveling alone for almost 10 years, fending for herself as best she could, while trying to avoid any further conflict. She also told me about how every once in a while, she would fight members of the Denmark army, and kill them, just for the satisfaction of revenge.

*****

Months slowly but surely turned into a year. During the winter, I made sure Katiya was safe, that she had enough food, and that she was warm enough. During the spring, she planted exotic things we found that she liked from other countries we had been to, and planted them all in a small area in the clearing. By summer, the plants had fully bloomed, and the clearing became increasingly beautiful as the years went by. Katiya's hair was longer, and she had her birthday in late spring, making her 20. She and I moved back and forth together, between different countries, our clearing, and an area she stayed in close to by wherever I slept, which became increasingly closer to my soldiers.

We continued to move south through Denmark. By our second winter there, we had just about taken over the entire country, and successfully spread Christianity.

Knowing very well that my days in Denmark were numbered, I decided to ask Katiya to not only move in with me, but to marry me as well. One night during the winter, I flew her to Greece; where we drank wine, skated, and then we flew back to the clearing. Then, I proposed to her, and it didn't take more than a second for her to say yes.

We had just about finished the Denmark campaign, when I was informed about an uprising. One night, in the dead of winter, one of my most trusted advisors told me that the people of Denmark were planning a massive attack. The thousands of soldiers that had slowly dissolved over time into submission were now planning to overthrow our power.

I told Katiya of the battle, and even though she worried, I reassured her and told her I would be safe. I kissed her goodnight, and flew back.

We were to be outnumbered again; 1,500 against almost 5,000. However, about a third of those numbers were inexperienced villagers, from all over Denmark.

It took us three weeks to prepare for the battle.

*****

The battle took place at a large field, right at the end of a forest near a few small villages. As we marched in, the people shut out their lights and closed their windows…the silence was deafening.

At the end of the three weeks, in the middle of the night, we waited. One of my scouts blew the signal; three short sounds from a horn.

Quickly and quietly, the Vikings and I regrouped. Then, we used the bare terrain to our advantage, by hiding as much as our bodies as we could in the snow. We were just barely into the forest, but in a position so we could see the entire field, and the villages.

It started to snow.

Slowly but surely, the sounds of the enemy growing closer became audible. Soon, the sound of them marching was so loud, that no one had any idea where they were. Then, the noises stopped.

A full moon lit up the white of the empty field when suddenly, out of the snow, across the field, came arrows whistling through the night. Some were lit on fire, and they seemed to hit their marks; the trees surrounding us.

The trees quickly caught fire, and it didn't take long for my men to scatter out, put the fires out, and then get to battle positions. We charged the open field, and when we were halfway through, they began to charge at us.

Metal met metal, and the clanging sounds of battle began to echo through the empty night. I quickly flew above the battle, and found all of the enemy soldiers with bows. In a matter of minutes, they were all dead, except for one that I was on my way towards. A second before I ripped him into shreds, he managed to shoot a fiery arrow up into the night sky.

Until then, all of the fire arrows had burned out…however, this arrow wasn't like the others; it landed on the roof of a nearby house in the village. In mere seconds, the house was completely in flames. The wind blew, and the fire was transported to other houses, and some of the nearby trees.

A moment of decision ran through my mind, and I quickly ran over to the houses and pulled the villagers out. Within minutes, all of them were out of their houses, and after a few more minutes, I had smothered the fires myself.

Then, I returned to the battle. It only took a few kills to get me into the mood, and then I really let loose.

Again, I went into my killer mode; dancing rapidly and wildly between groups of men, ripping their bodies apart with no effort, decapitating them, feeding on them, and massacring them. The snow soon became red beneath my feet, and I moved like a ghost between their ranks. I made no noise as I went, and I showed no signs of remorse.

I thought of how these men were responsible for Katiya's unhappiness, and it only propelled me further. I thought of her again and again each time I killed, and I could see her pain personified in their eyes. I became angrier, and angrier, and angrier still.

I moved so fast, that I couldn't even keep up with myself. It was as if my body had been detached from my mind; and that all my mind could do was just sit back and watch.

I had became so angry, that I was not myself. I took my time with each kill, instead of just letting lives slip through my hands. I broke every bone in a person's body, made sure they felt horrible pain, and then I sliced and bit and ripped until their screams would slowly die out. I continued my slower crueler rampage until I did something I still regret to this day…

I had attacked a few of my own men. For a few moments, my Vikings stood in shock, just staring at me. Their expressions were a strange mix of confused, angry, and surprised, and all I could do was stand there.

They quickly snapped out of it, and went back into battle. I, however, went to check on the men I had injured. Six were dead, three with broken bones, and one who I had sent flying much farther than the rest.

This one, with long braided hair and strange armor, lay a few feet into the forest, slowly bleeding into the snow against a large tree. I looked him over, and I knew he had no chance…some of his organs were outside of his body, and he was too weak to talk.

And then I saw it…a long shining blood-stained blade, with a black handle, and a sapphire encrusted sheath.

I fell to my knees, and blood began to stream out of my eyes down my face, further staining the snow beneath me…

I removed the soldier's helmet…

Of course I couldn't recognize the armor.

Of course I hurt this one more than the rest.

Of course this one flew further than the others…because _she_ was lighter than the rest.

_Katiya_.

Our eyes met, and her crying was now audible to me.

"E-Eric." she whispered.

I silenced her with a whimpering "Shhh.", but I couldn't stop myself from crying either.

I knew at that moment that there was only one way to save her; turning her. Ignoring the battle completely, I took Katiya in my arms, and quickly flew her to the clearing. There, I let her drink from me. Throughout the entire process her eyes never left mine, and I never stopped reassuring her. All I could do now was wait for her to slowly heal…but the sun was coming up.

I could still hear the sounds of battle as I let Katiya drink a second time, and the sun was now just above the horizon; I felt a slight burning on my face. Then, I turned and burrowed underground, leaving her bundled safely on the ground above me.

*****

For weeks, I slowly nursed her back to health. I knew that it would take a while, but from seconds before the sun went down to a few seconds into when it came up, I stayed at her side.

Then, one night a few weeks later, I arrived to find her gone.

For hours I tried to track her; following any scent or clues she left behind, but they all led to nothing. I flew to all of our favorite spots in all of the countries we'd visited, the battle field, my home and the rest of Sweden, and all of northern Denmark. The last spot she could have been was the clearing, and when I arrived, it was empty…all of the plants were dead, the ground was frozen, and the only noise was the wind slowly whistling through the trees.

I abandoned my Vikings, and dedicated myself to finding her.

Years went by, and I never found her…

Eventually, after 500 years, I gave up, and I settled myself back into existence…

*****

_Paris, 1892_

I keep seeing her.

Every night, she's there in all of my dreams, and then she's at my bedside.

I paint her, and sculpt her, and all day long, all I do is remember her…

And I _know_ she's still alive.

The large doors leading to the balcony are always open, and the curtains seem to carry her scent towards me as they blow in.

Every now and then, I see little glimpses of her; long blonde hair, in a long pink dress.

*****

_Chicago, 1926_

Another boring night club, another stupid woman singing about jazz.

The music pounds around me, and couples sit together under the low light, smoking and drinking, laughing and joking.

Then, she's there…alone at the bar, in a black dress, but this one resembles the flapper's that stands to my left, eyeing me (as if I were interested).

In a second I'm at the bar, but I blink as I go…

My eyes open a nanosecond later, and she's gone.

I break out into the street, following her scent down the street.

I turn the corner, right into an alleyway with large piles of garbage, and the scent is gone.

But I _know_ she's still alive.

*****

_Bon Temps, Now_

Bill and I are meeting tonight…

I can't say it's always a pleasurable experience, but I really have to see this new girl he's with.

I hear his car park outside, and Pam smiles at me as she goes to greet them.

Then, I see her walk inside…

Short blonde hair, a short flower patterned dress.

Bill's new girlfriend is…

Katiya?

"Nice to meet you, Eric." she says, smiling at me.

Wrong accent.

She's definitely living.

Wrong woman.

"Nice to meet you…Sookie."


End file.
